1. Technical Field
The present disclosure refers to the field of electronics, and ore particularly, to a through-hole mounting system having heat sink elements coupled together.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any existing electronic component is characterized by absorption of electric power during operation thereof. A portion of the absorbed electric power is inevitably dispersed in the form of heat according to the principles of thermodynamics. Such generation of heat causes a rise of the working temperature of the electronic component, which may adversely affect its operation (since some electrical parameters of the electronic component are closely dependent on its working temperature). Furthermore, an excessively high working temperature may cause a damage or even the destruction of the electronic device. In addition, as the working temperature of the electronic device increases there is a reduction of its reliability (i.e., there increases the statistical probability of occurrence of a structural damage during the operation) and in general of its useful life (i.e., the time for which the electronic component works properly).
Limiting the working temperature is particularly important in electronic components belonging to the field of “power electronics”, i.e., electronic components designed for operating at higher voltages and currents than conventional electronic components do; the power electronic components are used in the circuits of apparatuses belonging to various fields of use, for example, from computers to electromechanical machineries (such as power supply circuits of electronic processors, actuators of electric motors, inverters for photovoltaic panels, etc.).
Typically, the electronic components are integrated on chips of semiconductor material embedded in packages, each of which comprises an insulating body for insulating and protecting the electronic components from the external environment, and conductive pins (connected to conduction terminals of the chips) for making electrical connections with other electronic elements (e.g., electronic boards).
In the case of power electronic components the use packages of Through-Hole mounting Technology (THT) is common; in this case, the conductive pins (known as rheophores or conductive leads) extend from a mounting (lower) surface of the insulating body to be inserted and welded into suitable holes formed on the electronic boards, in order to obtain an electrical and mechanical connection therewith.
The known THT packages are usually bound to a heat sink (for example, a metal plate from which fins may extend for facilitating heat exchange with the surrounding environment), in such a way to disperse the heat produced by the electronic components for maintaining their working temperature within an acceptable range. For the mounting to the heat sink, the insulating body is usually provided with a perforated portion (with a smooth through hole), which allows fastening the insulating body to the heat sink via a bolt inserted into the through hole and bound to the heat sink.
However, the perforated portion increases a size of the insulating body without correspondingly increasing a useful space for embedding the chip since, due to the through hole, it is not possible to arrange the chip or part thereof in such perforated portion.
In addition, the attachment to the heat sink, if performed incorrectly, may compromise the package itself and/or the operation of the electronic component. For example, in the case where an excessive torque is applied to the bolt, the perforated portion may be deformed (breaking at the limit) compromising the fastening between the insulating body and the heat sink and therefore the dissipation of heat. Alternatively, it may happen that the pins may be deformed (breaking at the limit) during the fastening to the heat sink, thereby reducing a quality of the electrical connections being formed (and therefore the performance of the electronic components comprised in the package).